Materials for ocular prosthetics now in current use must satisfy a number of rather strict requirements, the principal ones being as follows: the materials in question should feature high mechanical properties, be optically transparent and biologically intert towards the ocular structures and the intraocular humor. It is quite expedient that the materials applied for ocular prosthetics have as low density as possible and be elastic.
Known in the art is use for ocular prosthetics of such materials as glass, polymers, in particular, polymethylmethacrylate, and liquid silicone.
However, properties of the materials used place not infrequently substantial limitation upon their application in the field of eye surgery. To take an example, liquid silicones are successfully applicable solely for partial substitution of the vitreous body in case of vitrectomy. Polymethylmethacrylate that has found extensive application as a material for making lenticuli is in fact too stiff of a material, which compels surgeons to considerably enlarge the operative wound. Glass has not so far found fairly broad application due to its high specific density.